Starting Over
by Sirro134
Summary: This is a story about Steve moving into a new apartment and meeting a new friend in the process. Please R


Captain America 2012

Sorry, I know this is a little over done but this is Steve Rogers moving into his first apartment in the 21st century and just before the Avengers.

"This will be your new apartment," The landlord handed Steve some keys that looked rather scratched up but he took them. They stood in front of a plain wooden door with the number 304 on it. Steve took in a breath and unlocked the door. He thanked the landlord, who took the hint that he wanted to be alone. Steve waited till the landlord was making his way down the hall until he opened the door. S.H.E.I.L.D had been there first to furnish the room.

Fortunately, there was a mix of the old with the new appliances. There was an old style radio he was used to seeing back home on an antique side table in the hall immediately to his left. He looked at it and smiled. Some of the appliances were new and some he could tell were fashioned to look old but were very recently made.

The walls were a light shade of blue that reminded him of a faded flag. His country's flag. His uniform. Steve appreciated that they had gone to the trouble of making it feel like home, but deep down he knew it was all a façade. Steve was going to continue looking around the apartment but he heard something banging against the wall. He realized that he left the door open and decided to go check it out anyways.

A person holding a large shopping bag in front of them was stumbling through the hall. Some of its contents were threatening to fall out with each swaying step. The black and white sneakers and blue jeans underneath the bag didn't look so confident with the steps they were taking either. The bag and legs underneath it turned towards the wall and revealed the pair of jeans belonged to a young lady. She was wearing a brown sweater and a dark blue jacket that was hanging down her arms.

"Here, let me help you." Steve offered. He knew some girls didn't react well to his assistance, claiming they could do it themselves and leave him feeling awkward. It was bred into him, he couldn't help it.

The girl looked up at the new tenant, looked him over and dropped her keys from the side. She sighed at the keys and said,

"That would be great. Thanks." She smiled and let him take the bag from her hands like it was a feather. She bent down and picked up her keys then fumbled through them for the key that opened her apartment.

"Which one is yours?" He asked casually. He then noticed how much taller he was compared to her, at least a foot taller.

"Oh, that one down there, 307." She pointed down the hall to an apartment past Steve's new apartment.

"After you," he gestured down the hall. The young lady smiled and started walking down the hall.

"Are you the new resident of 304?" She asked to break the ice.

"Yeah, I just moved in literally a few minutes ago."

"Well, first thing you should try to remember is to close you door." He noticed she was looking past him and at his apartment with the door still wide open.

"Oh," He quickly went over and closed it. The girl suppressed her laughter and waited patiently for him to return with her groceries.

"Meant to do that." He muttered under his breath. They reached 307 and the young lady put her key in the lock and twisted. She had to twist it a couple of times before it unlocked the door but it opened and she entered. She went over through a small hallway that had a kitchen immediately to the left but lead into a living space that doubled as a dining room and a living room. It was a similar lay out to Steve's own apartment. It made sense considering they were in the same building. He stood at the door, waiting to be invited in.

"Where would you like these?" he asked, motioning to the bag. The young lady reappeared from behind a wall and rushed back to the door.

"Oh sorry, um… just on the table in there. Or I can take them if you still have unpacking to do." She put her arms out to grab the bag.

"I can bring it in, actually most of my unpacking has been done already." He walked in and placed it on the table and looked around.

"Sorry about the mess." She tried moving things around to make it neater, but the stalks created the opposite effect. She stopped and tried to think of something to do. There was a guest in her apartment after all.

"Do you want some coffee or something?" She hurried passed him to her kitchen and started opening almost every cupboard looking for something.

"No, thank you. I'm Steve by the way. Steve Rogers." He looked at the pictures on her wall full of places he had no idea where they were and people that he did not recognize. He assumed they were family and friends.

"I'm Annie Wilson." She looked over from the boiling kettle in front of her. Steve looked up and backed away a bit, realizing he must look nosey.

"They are pictures of my family and a few of my friends back home." Annie looked at them fondly. Her eyes looked past the pictures into the memories that surrounded them but snapped back to reality.

"Where's home?" Steve asked, "If it's not too personal to ask right away."

"Home is actually back in Canada. I'm from the West Coast. How about you?"

"Born and bred in Brooklyn, but home has changed a lot since I left."

"Funny how that happens isn't it. You go back thinking it will be the same as when you left it but it never is."

"I should let you get you bag unloaded and such." Steve headed for the door.

"Hey, if you're not doing anything, do you want dinner? Just bring whatever you have in the fridge and we can have a casual dinner." She smiled at him.

"Thanks but maybe not this evening. I still need to get things organized in my apartment. It was nice to meet you Annie." He opened the door and nodded before disappearing behind it.

Steve walked down the hall back to his new living space. He stood in front of the door for a minute before opening it. Nothing had changed since he was gone. He was somewhat disappointed but it was not like he could enter his old apartment down in Brooklyn. He closed the door behind him this time and walked over to his own dining room table. It had a welcome basket on it from Tony Stark, Howard Stark's son. Steve looked at the Hallmark tag attached to it and noticed there was a bottle of wine in it.

_Another time,_ he thought.


End file.
